Believe it or not, in 21st century America there exist both secretly and overtly a rapidly diminishing but nevertheless dangerous assortment of extremists who deeply resent African-Americans and other minorities for obtaining through legal challenges, a multitude of career, personal and real estate opportunities that were once exclusively reserved for Whites.

Their fears stem from a strong belief that (1) America’s White race is currently under attack by liberal politicians and liberal courts and (2) because of race-mixing, their Anglo-Saxon, Judeo-Christian heritage is precipitously on the decline and will one day [in the near future] disappear and become extinct like the prehistoric dodo bird and its prehistoric cousin the pterodactyl.

It’s because of their racially-charged, schizophrenic core-beliefs and the reluctance of family and friends to directly confront their hateful rhetoric / actions and their misguided sense of divine entitlement that some White extremists feel empowered to capriciously commit murder in the name of “self-preservation” without feeling one iota of regret or sorrow.

And since racially-charged murders often have a history of negatively effecting a town’s overall economic prosperity, it’s not inconceivable for corrupt / sympathetic local law officials who are closely connected to a town’s businesses and politicians to proclaim what is clearly a homicide, an “accidental death” or even a suicide.

Modern technology, the advent of 24/7 cable / satellite News and the public’s use of the internet as an “additional voice / tool” has provided grieving families and friends with an additional “weapon” to fight corruption and injustice.

In regard to “righting” the “wrongs” of many of life’s injustices, it’s often said, “what’s done in the dark will eventually come to light”. In Sabine County, Texas, the wife, family and friends of 28-year-old Alfred Wright, a Black physical therapy specialist, are hopeful that the darkness and mystery that surrounds the death of this hard working husband and father will soon give way to the light of truth.

In the News…

A brief history of racial intolerance in East Texas

The municipalities that encompass East Texas have a long and sordid history of racial intolerance, racial segregation and bigotry. The town of Vidor, Texas was not-too-long-ago notoriously known for being a haven to the Klu Klux Klan, and for being a Sundown town.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the history of America’s “sundown towns”, If Blacks were caught in these all-White towns after sunset, the best scenario for an unfortunate Black person was physical assault and jail. The worst scenario was their “disappearance” which 99.99% of the time meant they were murdered.

Today, town officials in Vidor, Texas proclaim that their town is no longer a haven for the KKK and that racial discrimination no longer exists. Really?

On a remote road in Jasper, Texas on June 7, 1998, a Black man named James Byrd, Jr. while walking down that remote country road, was physically assaulted, and murdered by three White supremacists. After severely beating Mr. Byrd, they chained him to the back of their pickup truck and dragged his body for over three miles. Mr. Byrd’s right arm and head was severed as a result of the dragging. Today, town officials in Jasper, Texas proclaim that their town is no longer a haven for racial hatred. Really?

A Nonsensical Sheriff’s Department’s Explanation

Distraught by the inexplicable disappearance of her husband Alfred Wright, Lauren Wright reported her missing husband to the local sheriff’s department in Sabine County, Texas, on November 7, 2013.

Wright a 28-year-old African-American father of three, and a local college football hero, drove his truck which had a history of breaking down, into the parking lot of CL&M Grocery, a convenience store located off of Highway 87 near Hemphill, Texas.

A physical therapist by occupation, Alfred Wright had been out making house calls to local patients. It’s believed that Wright had just finished an appointment with a patient and may have been on his way to see another when his truck broke down.

Stranded, he left his truck, called his wife to inform her of the mechanical mishap and then according to a widely reported account from the store’s on-duty clerk, Alfred Wright stuffed his cell phone into his sock and took off jogging heading north along the highway. Hemphill, the nearest town, was just four miles away.

Sadly, Alfred Wright was never seen alive again.

Although, according to authorities at the sheriff’s department, a “thoroughfour-day-search” was conducted, Mr. Wright’s body was not discovered until approximately 3 weeks later by a family-organized search party, not far from the convenience store where Alfred Wright was last seen.

Initially the Sabine County Sheriff’s Department released a preliminary autopsy report to the media stating Alfred Wright's body had been found full of illegal drugs, had shallow puncture wounds on it and there was absolutely no evidence that severe physical trauma had occurred.

Although the sheriff’s department has completely ruled out foul play, Mr. Wright’s wife who happens to be Caucasian, and his immediate family aren’t convinced. They contend that the “official” sheriff’s department’s explanation for Alfred’s death just doesn’t make sense.

Of the many questions posed by Mr. Wright’s wife and family, these are the most compelling...(1) “Why after just four days of searching for Alfred Wright did the sheriff abruptly call off the search?”, (2) “How could deputies who were engaged in the “search” overlook Wright's body, although it was found less than a mile up the road from where he initially vanished?”

(3) “What makes authorities so certain Alfred died of a self-inflicted drug overdose, when Alfred’s wife and family adamantly deny his use of illegal drugs?” (4) Why doesn’t the pathology report clearly indicate when the deadly drug cocktail of methamphetamine and cocaine were ingested in Mr. Wright’s body?” (5) “How could the sheriff completely rule out foul play when a separate autopsy indicates that Alfred Wright's throat had been cut and an ear had been severed?” And (6) “Why was Alfred’s body found almost nude?”

It’s totally inconceivable to believe that a dead body left unattended in a rural setting for three weeks wouldn’t have been found badly decomposed and eaten by animals. Mr. Wright’s body showed no signs of being partially eaten by wild animals and neither was it badly decomposed. How is this possible unless his body was much later dumped where it was found?

Sabine County Sheriff Tom Maddox and his deputies have a lot of explaining to do as Federal Investigators and the Texas Rangers have now taken over the case.

In closing, let the record reflect that “Hate” never really dies. “Hate” only hibernates and awaits an opportunity to inflict great pain suffering when decent folk are “asleep”.

The chances are that something foul and hateful did cause Alfred Wright’s death on or about November 7, 2013 on a cold and remote road not far from Jasper, Texas and eventually the truth will be discovered, “For what is done in the dark will eventually come to light”. The question is why is it taking so long?

As always the New Orleans Examiner is interested in what you think. Based upon the evidence presented, did Alfred Wright die from a self-inflicted drug overdose, or has hate once again resurfaced in the form of murder in East Texas? Inquiring minds want to know.

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Gregory Boyce is a husband, small business owner and retired US Army veteran. He's traveled throughout the United States and lived abroad in Central America and Europe. Although originally from Brooklyn, Gregory has lived below the Mason Dixon line so long, he considers himself an adopted son of the South. He's passionate about writing and interacting with people from all walks of life.